Idiopathic recurring stupor: a case with possible involvement of the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system.

A patient had recurrent spontaneous episodes of stupor or coma in the absence of toxic, metabolic, or structural brain damage. Ictal electroencephalography showed fast 14 Hz background activity; sleep studies excluded narcolepsy. Flumazenil (Anexate), a benzodiazepine antagonist, promptly resolved the episodes and normalized the electroencephalogram. Radioreceptor binding studies showed the presence of a ligand to the central benzodiazepine receptor in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid during the episodes, suggesting a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic system involvement in the origin of the attacks.